Tomorrow is World Suicide Prevention Day.

For the Colson Center, I'm John Stone Street with the point.

It's important to remember that suicide is a growing problem in the U.S.

From 1999 to 2017, it increased by 33%.

That was before COVID.

And in 2019, it was the second leading cause of death for people aged 10 to 34.

Christians aren't excluded.

Lifeway research has shown that 32%

of Protestant churchgoers had a family member or close acquaintance die by suicide. Because of this

great need, the Colson Educators Collective has teamed with Dr. Matthew Sleith, a former ER physician

and chief of hospital medical staff, to offer a free online course. It's called Hope Always. It's based

on the title of his book, Hope Always, How to Be a Force for Life and a Culture of Suicide.

This course, which you can take for free at any time, will help you learn how to talk with

loved ones about the difficult topic of suicide. It offers scientifically grounded information

with biblically based theology to start a conversation about mental health and how the church can offer light and hope.

Go to courses.coelseneducation.org to register.

That's courses.colesoneducation.org.

I'm John Stone Street.